Unprecedented number of crew kidnappings in the Gulf of Guinea despite drop in overall global numbers

Despite overall piracy incidents declining in 2019, there was an alarming increase in crew kidnappings across the Gulf of Guinea, according to the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) annual piracy report.

In 2019, IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre received 162 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships worldwide, in comparison to 201 reported incidents in 2018. The incidents included four hijacked vessels, 11 vessels fired upon, 17 attempted attacks, and 130 vessels boarded, according to the latest IMB figures. While the overall decline in piracy incidents is an encouraging development, vessels remain at risk in several regions, especially the Gulf of Guinea.

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Source: iccwbo.org

Nigerian Navy shocked, angry

Philip Nwosu

Miffed by the audacity of some pipeline vandals in Lagos, operatives of the Nigerian Navy working under the Defence headquarters operations to clear the Lagos and Ogun areas of vandals, have shut down over 300 illegal oil wells in the Atlas Cove area of Lagos.

The wells, it was gathered, were dug above the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines transporting imported petroleum product from Atlas Cove to the Mosomi depot of the organization.

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Source: sunnewsonline.com

4 Chinese nationals abducted in Gabon pirate attack rescued: consulate

Four Chinese nationals abducted by pirates during a late December attack in waters off Owendo port in Libreville, Gabon’s capital were rescued recently in Nigeria, the Chinese Consulate to Lagos confirmed on Sunday.

An official from the consulate told Xinhua the consulate has been working closely with Nigerian police and navy in the rescue efforts since the consulate was aware that the four Chinese nationals had been taken to Nigeria.

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Source: https://www.shine.cn

Ghana starts construction of new naval base

Ghana’s president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has officially launched construction of the country’s new naval base with a sod-turning ceremony.

Akufo-Addo said the base is part of the country’s efforts to improve maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and protect the country’s oil and gas sector. Construction of the Forward Operating Base in Ezilinbo in the country’s Western Region began on 16 December 2019.

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Source: defenceweb.co.za

20 guards arrested over construction of illegal oil wells

By Eugene Agha

Twenty security officials securing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the construction of over 310 illegal oil wells for the purpose of syphoning petroleum products.

It was learnt that the guards arrested, including officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), are among those posted to secure NNPC pipelines that runs from Atlas Cove to Ejigbo and Mosimi depots both in Lagos and Ogun states.

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Source: dailytrust.com.ng

Rise of pirates in the Caribbean

By Rinsy Xieng

While pirates are becoming rarer off the Horn of Africa, particularly in Somalia, since warships patrolled the area, the number of acts of piracy and robbery is steadily increasing, with a sharp upsurge in Caribbean. For example, 28 events were recorded in 2019 off the island of Grenada, compared to only 3 the previous year. In the West Indies, it is mainly pleasure boats that are targeted.

Boaters and merchant ships

Pirates no longer hesitate to board large vessels, such as merchant vessels, even though the palm goes back to the Gulf of Guinea, where almost a third of the attacks took place there according to the report of the MICA Center, the center of expertise French Maritime Safety, which has just published its annual report. In 2019, for example, the organization recorded 360 events related to piracy and robbery. This figure has been stable for four years but less than it was 10 years ago.

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Source: rci.fm

3 expatriates kidnapped by Niger Delta pirates regain freedom

Three expatriates kidnapped by suspected pirates along the creeks of Sigbene community, in Burutu council area of Delta state, have reportedly regained their freedom.

A joint security operation, which embarked on a manhunt for the suspects, was said to have effected their release.

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Source: shipsandports.com.ng

Oil bunkering: Navy hands over 57 Nigerians, 7 Sri-Lankans, 2 Ghanaians to EFCC

Ndubuisi Ugah

The war against oil bunkering and sea pirates received a major boost yesterday when the Nigerian Navy (NN) handed over 57 Nigerians, seven Sri- Lankans and two Ghanaians, suspected to be involved in oil bunkering, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also reports that the seven vessels, involved in the oil bunkering and having no valid approval, were arrested by the Nigerian Navy between December 3 and 30, 2019. While addressing journalists, after the handing over to the EFCC, the Commandant of NN ship, NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Ibrahim Shettima, said the nation would have lost N906,250, 000, if the culprits had been successful in their operation.

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Source: newtelegraphng.com

Why Pirates Are Giving Up On Oil

By Julianne Geiger

Piracy in some of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints is on the rise–but now, pirates are resorting back to another method of income generation better suited to times of lower oil prices: taking human captives.

Sometimes, black market oil prices just aren’t lucrative enough. In the days of $100 oil, oil theft was a hot commodity. Today, pirates are supplementing their stolen oil income with ransomed sailors, creating a whole new set of problems for the oil industry to tackle.

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Source: oilprice.com

Four Dead, Three Kidnapped in Nigerian Pirate Attack

International maritime security consultancy Dryad Maritime reports that the Nigerian-flagged hopper dredger Ambika was boarded by pirates after a firefight resulting in multiple loss of life.

According to Dryad, the Ambika was attacked while operating just offshore, about three nm from the mouth of the Ramos river and about nine nm to the east of the Forcados offshore oil terminal. A firefight broke out between the embarked security team on the Ambika and the pirates.

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Source: maritime-executive.com